Chapter 40: Seeking the Ghost Card

The two men were taken aback, exchanged glances, and fell silent.

After another three minutes, Boss Zhang seemed to have made a decision. "I would like to ask you for a favor, little brother."

I looked up at him. His favors were never easy to grant, and I suspected the target was undoubtedly Wu Zhuang.

"My cultivation is too shallow. Tell me what it is, but I cannot guarantee I can do it."

Boss Zhang ignored my attempt at a refusal. "Wu Zhuang has committed too many evil deeds. We have our eyes on him, but the pressure is too great. We want to use your hands to deal with him."

I stared at Boss Zhang and said, "If you want me to deal with him, aren't you asking me to go up against the Wu family?"

Boss Zhang looked at me without a word.

I shook my head. "I don't have the cultivation for that." I knew that a confrontation with the Wu family was inevitable, but it could not be brought into the open—especially not in front of them.

"He has been searching for your grandfather. It is said that your grandfather crippled his younger brother, Wu Qiang."

I was startled by Boss Zhang’s words. They knew about this, too?

"I suppose so, but his cultivation is far from sufficient," I said indifferently.

"He wants to collect some interest, and his target is your grandfather's family." Boss Zhang locked his eyes on me.

I understood his meaning: Wu Zhuang intended to target those around my grandfather, including me.

"I will wait for him," I said. It was the truth. Even if I might not be able to defeat him, he was a member of the Wu family, and I had to face him directly.

Boss Zhang finished his meal and left alone; Wang Qiang went to see him off.

I withdrew Huang Liulang. My spiritual energy had been drained significantly; if I continued like this, I might not even be able to manifest a single spell.

When Wang Qiang returned, his expression was odd. He said, "Little brother, someone asked me to pass on a message. They are willing to pay one million if you can help them with a favor."

"What!?" I looked at him in astonishment.

"It involves Wu Yong. The person is in the same condition as Xiao Lan."

My eyes widened. Wasn't Wu Yong insane? How could he be out harming people again?

The momentary shock passed, and I regained my composure. "Brother Wang, Wu Yong is an elder of Wu Zhuang. I don't need to test his strength—I cannot handle him."

"Hey, you really have to help your brother out on this. Boss Zhang said that he would owe you a favor for this, and he can issue a 'token'."

I squinted at Wang Qiang. Boss Zhang’s words held profound weight. In their line of work, such a token was as good as evidence; once issued, the matter was as good as done, and any request would be granted.

"Brother, is Boss Zhang trying to give me a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'?" I joked.

Wang Qiang was stunned for a moment but then nodded. "Not quite a 'get-out-of-jail-free card,' but within his power, he will certainly give you an answer."

I pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, don't speak too definitively. Give me a few days. I will go and take a look first; if it's manageable, I will give you a firm answer."

"Alright, brother. That’s settled. I’ll give you the address."

I looked at Wang Qiang and asked, puzzled, "Aren't you going to take me there?"

"Brother, it's not convenient for us to show our faces. You just go; the call has already been made."

I nodded. That made sense; these people were too meticulous to leave any trail behind. However, thinking back to the token Boss Zhang mentioned, I thought to myself that if I really received it, it would be like holding half a life-saving talisman.

Wang Qiang left, and my heart slowly calmed down. A bold thought immediately occurred to me: Boss Zhang’s attempt to catch Wu Zhuang seemed like a setup.

How could it be such a coincidence that Wu Zhuang committed a crime just as they arrived in Qingyi, and that I was invited by Wang Qiang right after I finished dealing with Xiao Lan’s case?

Coupled with the fact that Boss Zhang wanted me to save someone, a chill ran down my spine.

I continued to stay at the hotel to recover my strength. I would have to take things one step at a time. I had already promised Han Cuiyun that I would help her find the Ghost Tablet.

Two days later, my strength was fully restored, and my cultivation had even improved—my Bean Soldier technique, in particular, had become more refined.

That night, I arrived near Old Wan’s villa and summoned Huang Liulang.

"Little Fang, why are we running here in the middle of the night?" Huang Liulang seemed to dislike this place.

"Sixth Brother, go talk to Han Cuiyun, find her aura, and we will help her retrieve the Ghost Tablet."

"Why help that stinking woman?"

"I said, Sixth Brother, it's all because of you. You were defeated, and that's why I agreed to her conditions."

Huang Liulang paused for a few seconds and said, "Damn it, I will become powerful."

I saw a flash of white light on Huang Liulang’s body, and then he dissipated. I knew he had gone to find Han Cuiyun.

Ten minutes later, Huang Liulang returned. "Let's go. I’ve sensed the approximate location."

We bypassed Old Wan’s villa and continued up the mountain until we reached a manhole, which was clearly a drainage well for the mountain. It was a deep, brick-lined well, protruding half a meter above the ground and covered by a black lid.

"This should be it," Huang Liulang said, pointing at the well.

"Sixth Brother, what’s with that expression?" I asked, puzzled by his pained look.

"How come I feel like there’s something inside?" Huang Liulang said skeptically. He circled the well and sniffed with his little nose.

I thought to myself, *Give it a rest; you don't even have a physical form, what could you possibly smell?* But I asked anyway, "Sixth Brother, what do you smell?"

Huang Liulang shook his head. "I don't smell anything, but I have a premonition that there is something in there, and it’s nothing good."

I let out a long breath. "Sixth Brother, we’re already here. Why worry? We’ll know as soon as we open it."

I put on my gloves and gave it a strong shove, flipping open the black plastic lid. A foul odor immediately rushed out. Having had experience with tomb raiding, I concluded that this was the smell of a corpse.

I reached the well opening and shone my flashlight inside. It was an inspection port for an underground utility network, revealing a concrete pipe.

I hesitated for a moment and looked at Huang Liulang. "Sixth Brother, let’s go down and take a look."

Huang Liulang glanced inside and said sarcastically, "If you have spiritual energy to waste, then by all means, let’s go down together."

I was shocked. Huang Liulang was right. I was currently using my own spiritual energy to maintain his manifestation; the most efficient method would be to withdraw him and summon him only when needed. I sighed inwardly at my own lack of experience.

I withdrew Huang Liulang and climbed down the well using the rungs on the wall.

The concrete pipe was 1.8 meters high, so I could walk through it by only slightly bending over. I looked left and right, drew my God-Beating Whip, and began to move along the pipe toward Old Wan’s villa, as Han Cuiyun had said the Ghost Tablet was within a hundred *zhang*—about 300 meters—of his home.

In fact, before I had even gone down, a chill had already brushed against the back of my neck. The air smelled musty, but to those of us who practice, it carried a distinct Yin aura. Needless to say, there was definitely a corpse down here that had lost its soul within the last seven days.

I hadn't walked even twenty meters when I encountered a bend. As I turned the corner, I saw a black shadow lunging toward me from the corner of my eye.

My heart surged with alarm. The figure moved sluggishly, rushing toward me while emitting an intensely foul odor.